Once Upon a Second Chance
by rekidai
Summary: 'What if I went to Paris with Blair' That question has run through Chuck's mind the past five years. Chuck looked through the newspaper and smiled when he saw Blair's name in the papers. She was all he thought about. He looked at the invitation to her fashion show again and wondered if he should go. Maybe it's a second chance…
1. Prologue

_A/N: Hi, just want to let people know I just updated this chapter :) Thanks to everyone that sent me private messages for suggestions and help! I really appreciate it. So I just wanted to explain a few things. This AU takes place before 5X24 in Gossip Girl and has an alternative ending to the episode. Blair has a heart to heart conversation with her mother and is trying to decide who she wants to be with: Dan or Chuck. Blair's mother gives her advice and tells her to pick who makes her the best and she decides to be with Chuck. Afterwards her mothers tells Blair that she's moving the company to Paris and asks if Blair want to take over. Blair agrees and wants a second shot with Chuck. She meets up with Chuck and confesses that she's still in love with him. Chuck tells her his feelings as well and she tells him about her plans moving to Paris. Chuck looks disappointed but she meets his gaze and asks if he would go with her. At first Chuck hesitates but in the end he agrees to go. When he goes home to pack his bags, his father convinces him to stay and run the company. The next day, Blair is waiting at the airport for him and leaves without him. _

* * *

**Prologue**

It was a typical morning for Chuck; he got out of bed and left the hot blonde sleeping. Took a quick shower and ordered room service for breakfast. Chuck was eating his breakfast in the living room and looked through the paper. He stopped when he saw those two words "Blair Waldorf". There was a smile on his face by the time he finished the article.

_Blair Waldorf surprises everyone with the new collection, once a falling designer has quickly risen to the top again._

Chuck always knew that she could succeed in her mother's footstep. He folded the newspaper and finished eating. The blonde from last night came out of the bedroom and began rubbing her head. It was probably a hangover. Chuck and she have been drinking all last night and when they arrived at his penthouse they finished a bottle of vodka.

"Did you want breakfast?" Chuck asked as he pointed to the plate across from him with his fork. The girl looked over at the food and shook her head.

"No I'm just going to go home" she said as smiled.

Chuck was about to get up when the girl said she can walk herself out. That was the first time a girl offered to walk herself out. He looked at the time and had to get ready for work now. When he arrived at Bass Industries, Serena was sitting at his desk already.

"What can I do for you sis?" he asked.

"Blair came back from Paris" she said as he sat down at his desk.

The last time he's seen Blair was five years ago and they ended on a terrible note. On the last day she was in the Upper East Side she asked Chuck if he wanted to come to Paris with her. Blair was waiting for him at the airport and he never showed up. He regretted his decision but in the past five years he never jumped on a plane to find her.

"Okay" he said quietly.

"Don't you want to see her?" Serena asked.

"I just don't think she wants to see me" Chuck said as he clenched his fist.

"Here" she said as she handed him an envelope.

"What's this?"

"It's an invitation to her fashion show" she said.

"I don't think that's a good idea", he tried handing the invitation back but Serena wouldn't accept it.

"Keep it, even if you guys ended horribly, I still think she would want to be friends again" Serena said as she left his office.

He tossed the invitation on his desk and looked out the window. There were many things that went through his head. The one that appeared the most was a "what if" question. _What if I did go to Paris with her? _He had imagined so many scenarios that some of them even repeated each other. Blair even appeared in his dreams sometimes, reminding him what he lost. Chuck picked up the invitation and looked at it again. He decided he'll go but he won't say a word to her. That privilege has been revoked.


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Thank you to everyone that left reviews, favourite and follow this story. I really appreciate the help and I really appreciate the people that personally message me as well. Thanks to my beta readers for helping me fix this chapter. Hope you guys like it! _

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

Chuck wasn't sure what he was doing, he should have left right after the fashion show.

It was only an hour ago that he was watching the fashion show, in the shadows, with all the photographers. No one had said a word to him, or asked him any questions, so he assumed no one had recognized him, which according to him was really good.

At the end of the show, he watched as Blair gracefully took the stage and thanked everyone. She was as beautiful as he remembered, with her pearl white skin and strikingly brown hair. The electric blue dress complimented her skin tone beautifully and oh those legs of her.

Chuck was about to leave when a young woman asked him to come backstage with her. She led him inside a room and they sat down. He assumed she was Blair's assistant.

"Ms. Blair will be here in a second" the woman said.

"Alright" Chuck said as he leaned back on his chair.

Blair walked into the room and Chuck looked over his shoulder. She had changed to a casual black dress with lace sleeves and she looked as beautiful as ever.

"You can go now, thank you Katie" Blair said to her assistant.

Katie left the room and Blair sat across from him. Chuck clasped his hand together and placed them on his knees. He was leaning forward and couldn't believe that Blair was really in front of him now, after all these years. Only this morning he had decided to see her but talking to her wasn't in his agenda. This was too much for him already and he could feel his heart beating in his ear.

"It's nice to see you again" Blair said with a warm smile on her face.

"You too" Chuck couldn't help but smile. Her smile had always been contagious.

"The show was really good" Chuck said when she didn't say anything.

Blair nodded and silence filled the room again. There were so many things that Chuck wanted to ask but he knew he had no right. He had left her at the airport and never contacted her once in five years.

"I saw in the newspaper, Bass Industries have been quite successful" Blair said.

"So has Waldorf Designs" Chuck added.

Blair laughed at the notion and shook her head. She looked down at her lap and said; "just luck."

"It isn't luck, it's you" Chuck said.

Blair looked up to meet his eyes. He always knew what to say to make her happy. That's one of the many things she liked about him.

"I have to get going now" Chuck said as he got up. He straightened his blazer and looked at her again. Her smile faded and she looked away.

"Okay" she said quietly.

"It was really nice seeing you again" he said as he was walking out the door but didn't hear her say anything.

He leaned on the wooden door and took out his phone. It was already 10pm and there were several emails he had to respond to. Chuck started walking out of the building as he started responding to some of the emails.

His phone started ringing and it was his assistant; it had to be an emergency.

"Hi Mr. Bass, how was the show?" Emily asked.

"It was alright" he said as he looked back at the building.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, sorry I just wanted to remind you that you have a meeting tomorrow night at 7pm" she said and he thanked her for reminding him before hanging up.

The limo was late; it was supposed to be here an hour ago. Chuck sighed and looked through his phonebook to call his driver. He wanted to get home and get some sleep. The whole day was exhausting with unexpected turn of events.

"I'm outside now" he said into his phone as soon as his driver picked up the call.

"Chuck wait!" He heard Blair yell as she ran towards him.

"I'll call you back" Chuck said hastily and cut the call.

"Blair, what is it?" his eyebrows furrowed together. He wasn't sure why she ran after him.

"Did you want to go somewhere?" she asked and he looked at her confused so she tried again, "with me?" she asked; as she tried to catch her breathe.

Somewhere inside his brain it was screaming at him to say no over and over again. This wasn't what he had planned initially; he just wanted to see her from afar. His head started feeling dizzy from hearing the question and his palm was getting sweaty. But he couldn't do that because the word that came out of his mouth was; "Yes".


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

All the lights were lit up through the path in Central park. A few people were walking by and Chuck was sitting on the edge of the fountain with Blair. The wind blew by and she brushed her hair away from her face. Chuck remembered the last time they were here together like it was yesterday. He still had dreams about their last conversation.

* * *

_Chuck was already waiting at Central Park for Blair. She had called him an hour ago and asked him to meet her here. It was still sunny and he had a bad feeling about the whole thing. He shouldn't have pressured Blair to pick between him and Dan._

_Blair arrived as her fashionable self with a blue dress on. Chuck couldn't but smile when he saw her. His heart was beating faster as she came closer. Meeting her here will either end everything or start something again._

"_I'm sorry I'm late" Blair said as she sat down on the fountain._

"_It's okay, I wasn't waiting long" he said as he sat next to her._

"_I don't know where to begin" she said._

"_Take your time" he said, encouragingly._

_Blair took a deep breathe. She tried to find the right words to tell him everything. Her legs crossed, uncrossed and then crossed again as she bit her bottom lip._

"_Chuck… When I'm with you I feel vulnerable, and I wasn't really sure if that was a good thing. You know we've been through so much together: you sleeping with Jenny, me getting rid of Eva, you trading me for a hotel, me sleeping with Jack, you paying for my dowry so I can get out of the loveless marriage are just a few of them to name" Blair began saying. She looked up to meet his gaze and smiled sadly._

"_I remember I was upset about the dowry because I thought you were buying my love. You said that it was because you wanted me to be free and be happy. Even after everything we've been through you still said you loved me"_

"_Blair… I'll always love you" Chuck said. Blair nodded and reached for his hand. _

"_I know and I just wanted to tell you that it's always been you. No matter what I'll always be in love with you" Blair said._

_Chuck felt relieved to hear those words from her. Earlier when he heard her voice shaking on the phone he thought the worst. He imagined Blair picking Dan over him and he didn't really want to meet her. Chuck squeezed her hand and smiled at her. He was happy that he came to meet her. This was the best thing he's heard in a while. _

"_Chuck I still have something to tell you...my mom told me she's moving Waldorf Designs to Paris now and she asked me to take over"_

"_That's good" Chuck said happily._

"_Chuck…I don't think you understand. I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow"_

_Chuck's heart dropped when he heard that. There was bad news after all. He sighed._

"_You'll come back though right?" he asked. He knew the answer but he asked anyways._

"_Chuck, come with me" she said instead of answering his question._

_Chuck thought he didn't hear her correctly "What?"_

"_Chuck, come with me to Paris" she said again. Blair was serious._

"_Do you really want me to come?" he asked and saw her give him a soft nod._

"_I think we just need a fresh start and forget everything that's happened in the Upper East Side" Blair said._

_Chuck thought for a moment about the offer and came to the conclusion that this was the right thing. If they left Upper East Side, they would be leaving all the drama behind them. They could start over in Paris where no one knew Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass. No one would know their dirty secrets or their past and they could finally move on from everything. It sounded good to Chuck and he wanted to make it happen._

"_I'll come with you" he said with a warm smile._

"_Really?" Blair asked surprised. When she had asked him to come with her she hadn't really expected him to say yes, as much as she wanted him to._

"_Yes. I think you are right, we do need a fresh start after everything." he said and Blair couldn't have been happier._

"_Okay then. Meet me tomorrow at the airport at 9am" she said as she got up. "I just have to tell Dan and Serena then we can start a new life together"_

* * *

They talked about the Upper East Side and Paris. It felt natural for them to be joking around and laughing almost like nothing changed. Chuck could see Blair's face under the lights of the fountain. He couldn't help but stare at her as her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry for making you come here with me" Blair said.

"It's alright" Chuck said.

"This place brings back a lot of memories" Blair said as she smiled fondly.

"Blair… Why did you come back?" he asked. Blair tilted her head as she looked at Chuck.

"I missed it here that's all" she said. "Chuck… I want us to be friends again"

There it was the words that made him feel better. The guilt had always eaten him inside and he thought that she would never want to talk to him again after what he had done. Leaving her and not saying a word the past five years was the worst thing he had done to her.

"I do too" Chuck started saying. "But I want to apologize first" he continued.

"You don't have to" she said.

"No. I have to", his face was serious. Blair's face changed as she looked away.

"Okay, let's hear it" she said.

"I'm sorry for leaving you, for not meeting you at the airport and everything after" he said softly.

Blair nodded as she heard each word. She didn't think she would feel a thing when she heard his apology but now as she heard him, she started being angry again. The first few days she didn't hear a word from him and it was humiliating. She kept hoping that he would contact her and explain himself but after the first two weeks she decided she needed to move on.

She turned towards him and smiled.

"Then why did you?" she asked as she shook her head.

Chuck thought for a moment about the question. He had thought about that for so long. It kept him up most nights.

"I was scared" he said.

"Ha! Chuck Bass scared? I would have to see that" she said. "Tell me the real reason"

"When I got home, my father talked to me about taking over Bass Industries. I didn't want to let him down" he said.

"I knew it, that's why I said it was fine" she said as she got up.

"Anyways I have to go now, it's getting late. But let's do this again sometime" Blair said as she looked back at Chuck.

"Alright" Chuck said with a smirk.

"Let me give you a ride" he said as they walked out of the park and she agreed.

They sat in the limo in silence. Blair was looking out the window and watched as the lights and car passed by. New York felt like home to her and she wished that she never left. Chuck couldn't keep his eyes off of her. When they reached outside her building, Chuck pulled his phone out and asked for her number. She punched it in and handed it back to him.

"Well... it was really good catching up with you" she said with a smile.

"Same here" he said as he put his phone back inside his blazer.

"I'll see you around then" Blair said as she got out of the car and he gave her a nod.

Blair unlocked the door to her penthouse and gave her things to Dorota. She dragged her feet up the stairs and sat on the edge of the bed. The whole night was exhausting even though she was the one that made it happen. She finally got to talk to Chuck Bass and heard him apologize. Blair placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

* * *

_It all started at the fashion show when she saw him in the shadows. Her eyes wouldn't wander away and kept looking at him as she gave her speech. When she got off the stage, she asked her assistant to get Chuck from the audience. She didn't know what possessed her to do it but she did it anyway._

_Blair quickly walked back to her room and started regretting her decision. Her assistant came into the room and let her know that Chuck was waiting for her in the other room. She nodded and said she would meet him in a second. Blair stared at her reflection in the mirror and took in a slow breathe._

'_I just want to talk to him.' she thought to herself, 'Nothing more'._

_As Blair entered the room and thanked her assistant, Chuck turned around and looked at her. It was the same look he always gave her five years ago. His eyes shined and instantly a smile appeared. The old alluring Chuck Bass smile. She thought that she had forgotten how it looked like, but then Blair saw him smile and it seemed just like yesterday._

_Blair put on her best smile as sat across from him. The conversation was awkward and when he left the room she wished it had gone better. She looked up and decided to run after him. When Blair got outside the building and saw him again she decided she still wanted to be in contact with him. Soon after their talk in the park she decided she wanted to be friends again. There was too much history between them to pretend not to know each other._

* * *

"I was looking for you after the show but Katie said you were busy" Blair looked up and gave Dan a weary smile as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Sorry, I ran into Chuck and then went to catch up with him" she said as she gave him a quick peck.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah" she said as she leaned on Dan's shoulder. "Everything is fine" she said quietly to herself.


	4. Chapter 3

_UPDATED A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, and I know I know I hate Dair with a passion too but I will confess from the events from the previous episodes I think that Blair would have ended up with Dan if Chuck left her. That's why Dair happened **BUT **I promise there won't be much cute "Dair moments" this story is solely focused on Chuck and Blair. This chapter of course has hand holding and such since she's in a relationship with Dan. _

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

It was the first time Blair had seen Serena in the Upper East Side, Serena pulled Blair in for a hug. They both kept in contact since Blair moved away and Serena has even come to visit her in Paris several times. Blair and Dan had let her stay in their place last year in the summer when she came to visit. Serena was surprised when Dan had moved his belongings into Blair's room last year.

"Okay B, so what did you want to tell me?" Serena asked.

"Here" Blair said as she showed her ring finger.

A small diamond was sitting on her ring finger. Serena couldn't believe it. She pulled Blair's hand closer and marveled at the ring.

"Oh B! I'm so happy for you" she said as she gave Blair another hug.

"So you finally agreed to Dan's proposal?" she asked as she clasped her hand together.

"Yeah" Blair said reminiscing Dan's proposal.

* * *

_Throughout the last two years, Dan had kept proposing to Blair in a non-romantic way. Blair wasn't sure if she wanted to get married to him. Whenever he proposed she couldn't help but think of the time Chuck had proposed to her._

_After the whole fiasco of trying to avoid the Empire State building, Blair realized that she was still in love with Chuck. The time she realized it, Dorota went into labor and Blair went with her. She was holding on to her hand and ensuring Dorota that she will be okay. After Dorota gave birth, with her baby in her arms, she told Blair to go meet Chuck at the top of the Empire State building. Blair smiled and rushed there. Sadly, he wasn't there anymore and she went to look for him at the Empire Hotel. She found him at home and wrapped her arms around him telling him that she's still in love with him._

_Chuck had immediately hugged her and confessed his love for her. They walked back to the hospital with their fingers intertwined and when they got inside the hospital Chuck had gotten down on one knee. He took out the box; the one he'd been saving and opened it showing Blair the ring he bought for her. Everything was perfect until Dan punched Chuck in the face, screaming at him for sleeping with Jenny. The first marriage proposal she ever received was ruined by Little J._

_It was ironic because that day Blair had hated Dan more than ever yet she was with him now. The first time Dan proposed it was over a homemade dinner by candlelight. Blair flatly refused; she had promised herself that she wouldn't agree to another marriage unless she felt as happy as the day Chuck had asked her._

_After several failed attempts she thought he would have given up but during the last night in Paris, Dan had taken her to the Eiffel Tower. Blair was happy to visit the Eiffel tower one last time before she left. It was her favourite spot in Paris and she often came here when she was sad or wanted to be alone with her thoughts. The lights were on and everything felt romantic. There were couples around the Eiffel Tower holding hands and having their arms wrapped around each other. There were some even kissing or making out but that didn't bother Blair. She wanted to take it all in before she left. When she turned around, Dan was on one knee and he had a small diamond ring in hand._

"_Blair Waldorf, will you please marry me?" Dan asked._

_Blair hesitated and wasn't sure if she was ready for marriage the second time around. But the more she thought about his proposal the more she knew there was no real reason for her to say no. Marrying Dan would be a good thing for her. Dan had sacrificed his happiness once to bring her and Chuck back together. He will always be there for her and she knew it. Blair smiled at Dan._

"_Yes" she said happily._

* * *

"Well, it's for the best" Blair said as she drank her tea.

"Does Chuck know?" Serena asked.

Blair shook her head. The first time they talked again she wasn't sure if she should bring it up. She wanted to make amends with him and become friends again since she was back in the Upper East Side for good. Couple of days has passed and she hadn't heard a word from him. She wondered if he didn't want to stay in contact with her.

"Doesn't matter, he doesn't really need to know" Blair said.

"How's Nate?" Blair asked.

"Nate has been good, we're moving in together next month" Serena said.

Dan just arrived home and went to give Blair a quick kiss.

"Hey Serena" he said with a warm smile.

"Hey" she said as she gave a small wave.

"How's living in Upper East Side? Different from Brooklyn?" she asked.

"Yeah a little different but Blair didn't want to live in Brooklyn" Dan said.

"Nu uh, we agreed we would live in the Upper East Side" she said as she looked up at Dan fondly.

Dan couldn't help but give Blair another kiss. Dan's eyes were fixated on Blair and Serena couldn't bear to watch. She would always regret the night Dan left for Paris.

"Anyways I have to go back now" she said as she got up.

"Really?" Blair asked as she got up.

"Yeah" Serena said with a small smile.

Blair gave Serena a hug before she left. She knew something was wrong but she didn't want to pry when Dan was there. There was a better chance of Serena telling her when they were alone. She made a mental note to ask her to dinner the next time she was free. Dan wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her shoulders.

"Where do you want to eat dinner?" she asked.

"I'm fine with anything" he said.

"Want to go to Butter?" she asked.

"Sure" Dan said into her shoulder.

Butter was packed but she got Katie to reserve her table. They were seated near the bar and Blair looked around. It was still popular and she loved the decorations. She admired the new flower lamps that were installed. Dan looked through the menu and shook his head.

"I don't know what to get" he said. "What are you getting?" he asked as he leaned closer.

"I want to get the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras" she said as she closed her menu.

Dan's face changed, he never liked the same food Blair liked. She had a rich taste while he was satisfied with street meat. Dating Blair was hard for him because the only common things they had were old classic movies and plays. When the waiter came to take their order, Blair ordered first since she knew what she wanted. Dan looked over the menu again and tried to pick the safest option.

"Ca-cavata-appi Pasta with Spicy Lamb Sausage" he said.

The waiter nodded and smiled at both of them before leaving. There was a candle lit between them and Blair played with it. Dan took her hands and interlaced it with his.

"Is it better that we moved back?" he asked.

"It's the same" Blair said as she gave him a smile.

"I thought you would like it better here" Dan said.

Blair was about to speak but in the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck standing by the bar with a blonde haired woman. She couldn't help but stare at him and wondered why he was here. Chuck has never liked coming to Butter, in fact he never went to many restaurants unless he ate out with her.

"Blair?" Dan said again.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" she asked with a smile.

"I asked if you wouldn't mind visiting my dad with me" he said.

"Of course not, when did you want to go?" Blair asked.

Chuck walked by the table and stopped when he noticed Blair and Dan.

"I didn't know you were coming back" Chuck said to Dan.

"Yeah, go where my fiancé go right?" Dan said as he placed his hand on top of Blair's.

"I didn't know you had a fiancé" Chuck said as he turned his head to Blair.

He clenched his jaw as he waited for Blair's reply. He wanted her to say Dan was wrong more than anything. But Blair looked up meekly at him and nodded.

"Dan proposed couple weeks ago" Blair said smiling.

That was something Chuck didn't want to hear, but what right did he have to feel upset? He was the one that left her. Dan was simply the one that was man enough to go claim her himself. The thought made his head feel dizzy as held his date's hand tighter.

"Sorry, this is Natalie" Chuck said as he introduced his date.

The blonde with the perfect body extended her hand as she met Dan and Blair. Blair tried to smile but she knew she already hated the girl.

"How long have you two been together?" Dan asked.

"This is our first date but it seems to be going well" Natalie said sweetly. Her voice was high pitched and each word sounded like music.

"That's wonderful" Blair said with a sarcastic smile as she turned her attention to Dan.

Dan smiled back fondly and pulled her hand slightly closer to him. Chuck watched and couldn't help but feel slightly angry at the sight. He looked over at Natalie and smiled.

"Well we better go" he said as he tugged Natalie's hand.

Chuck tried to concentrate on his date but he couldn't. He kept replaying the image of Blair nodding innocently to his question about Dan. There was no chance of him getting her back now.

"I'm not feeling very well, how about I drop you home?" he asked.

Natalie looked unhappy about the news.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing, just feeling a bit sick" he said.

_'And maybe a bit of heartbreak'_ he thought.

"Okay" she said.

The limo dropped Natalie off and Chuck sat in silence with his thoughts. For some unknown reason, he asked the driver to go to Blair's apartment. The window was rolled down and he stared up at the building guessing she lived at the penthouse.

_'I should have just gone to Paris, I wouldn't have to feel this bad now'_ Chuck thought as he closed his eyes.

"Chuck?" Blair called out from behind the limo.

Chuck opened his eye and turned his head around. Blair was alone, Dan wasn't anywhere in sight. He got out of the door and walked closer to her. Chuck wanted to talk to her again and have her in his life. That would be enough and he would be fine with her getting married to Dan.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked as he was a few inches away from her.

"After dinner, I wanted to walk around the block" she said.

"What happened to Natalie?" Blair asked curiously.

"She went home" Chuck said as he put his hands in his pocket.

Blair nodded; she was still unsure why Chuck was outside her place. The usual Chuck Bass would have bought the girl back to his place and lock himself in his room all night. Blair gave him a small smile.

"Well good night" she said as she started walking.

"Blair wait" Chuck said.

"What is it?" she asked as she turned around.

"When did you start dating Dan?" Chuck asked.

He needed to know the answer or else he would think about it all night.

"When I realized I needed to move on" she said before walking inside the building.

Blair didn't smile but it hurt Chuck to hear that come out of her mouth. He watched as she disappeared inside the building. If he could go back in time, he would go back to when his father told him to take over Bass Industries. He would toss it all aside and go with Blair to Paris. He may have the empire but he's nothing without Blair Waldorf.


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I just got back from vacation so here's a new chapter. This is a flashback chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this :) _

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

_Blair was ecstatic that Chuck was coming to Paris with her. She had just finished telling Serena about the news and was on her way to see Dan. He told her he would be waiting for her at his place. She wished she could leave right now with Chuck and begin her new life. Dan had let her inside and they sat on the couch to talk. He had a feeling what she was about to tell him but he waited to hear it from her anyways._

"_Dan" she started saying._

_She started thinking about what to say. There wasn't anything she could say to make the news better but she still had to tell him. She wanted to be honest with Dan just like he's been honest with her. Dan has been nothing but good to her when she had nothing. He helped her out when she needed it and they even became close when she worked as an intern. Everything just got complicated after they tried to date. They just couldn't fit into each other's world and she wasn't sure about her feelings towards him. She never did say those three special words._

"_I'm moving to Paris" she said slowly._

"_My mother moved Waldorf Designs there and she asked me to take over" she continued._

"_I'm happy for you" he said with a weak smile._

_There was a pause before she told him who she picked._

"_I asked Chuck to go with me" she said._

_Dan closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. The anxiety was gone. When he gave her the ultimatum, he started worrying that Blair wouldn't pick him. Chuck started being close to her again and he was worried that she would fall back in love with him. Now she made her choice and he could stop thinking about it. He felt his chest hurting but tried to put on a brave front._

"_I hope you will be happy finally" he said sadly as he gave her a hug._

_Blair closed her eyes and hugged him back. She knew that Dan would have accepted the news graciously and would even be happy for her. He held her close for several minutes, he didn't really want to let her go but she did._

"_I have to go home and pack now" she said with a small smile._

"_What time are you leaving tomorrow?" he asked._

"_Are you coming to say goodbye to me?" she asked._

_Dan nodded; he wanted to see her one last time before she left for good._

"_12pm" she said and after a few more minutes with him, she left._

_It felt like hours that Dan was sitting in his room thinking about their conversation. The more he thought about it the more he was glad he was going to be in Rome next month. He could forget about Blair. There was a knock at the front door and he went to answer it. Serena was standing outside and she leaned in to hug him._

"_I heard" she said softly as she released him._

_He invited her inside._

"_Are you okay?" she asked._

"_No" he said as he looked down._

_There were no words that could describe the pain he felt. She never did say she loved him back when they were dating but he waited patiently for her. He thought that he had been a good boyfriend to her but it turns out she will always be in love with Chuck Bass._

"_I'll be fine, I'll be gone to Rome next month" Dan said._

_Serena placed her hand on top of Dan's and looked at him. She wished she could do something to make him feel better. Not long ago before Blair's wedding she told Dan that she will always love him. It remained true. Her feelings hadn't changed even though he chased after Blair._

"_I'm always here for you" Serena said._

_Rufus just arrived home and noticed Serena sitting on the couch._

"_Hey Serena" Rufus said._

"_Hey Rufus, I was about to leave" she said as she got up._

"_No no, you can stay" he said as he moved around the kitchen._

"_It's okay I have somewhere I need to be anyways" she said._

_Serena turned around to look at Dan again._

"_I'll see you tomorrow" she said as she let herself out._

_Rufus looked at Dan with confusion._

"_I thought Blair was supposed to come?" he asked._

"_She did" Dan said nodding his head in slow motion._

"_And what happened?" Rufus asked concern._

"_Basically she told me that she's still in love with Chuck" Dan said melancholy._

"_I'm so sorry Dan" Rufus said sadly._

"_It's alright, she's moving to Paris and I'll be in Rome for the summer. I'm sure I'll be over it by then" he said as he waved his hand to brush the whole situation off. _

_The next day, Dan woke up in time to meet Blair at the airport. The sight of Blair carrying two luggages surprised him._

"_Shouldn't you be bringing like 10 or something?" Dan asked as she walked closer to him._

"_I'm shipping everything to Paris once I find a home" she said._

"_Well Waldorf, I expect you to keep in contact" Dan said._

_Blair nodded and gave him another hug. She wasn't sure when she will see Dan again. They went to a small cafe inside the airport and chatted while she waited for Chuck to show up. Dan wanted to keep her company until she left. It was 12pm already and the announcer called for all the Paris passengers. Blair bit her bottom lip. She was nervous since Chuck wasn't there yet._

"_I guess I should get going" she said trying not to cry._

_She was holding two tickets in her hand and Chuck Bass was not in sight. Dan watched her walk away from him and towards the gate. He mustered all his courage and called out to her._

"_Blair!" he screamed._

_Blair turned around with tears in her eyes already. When Dan saw her like that, he knew he couldn't leave her. He walked to her and pulled her towards him._

"_Let me come with you" he said into her hair._

"_I'll leave when he shows up" he said._

_Blair nodded and they walked through the terminal together. Before Dan got on the plane, he went to make a call first to let his dad know that he's going._

"_Are you sure you want to do this?" Rufus asked._

"_Dad, Blair needs me" Dan said._

"_Remember you said that last time?" he asked._

"_You let Blair drag you into her marriage problems, now she's doing the same thing again" he said._

"_It's different this time" Dan reasoned._

"_It's not Dan, I wish you could see it" Rufus said._

"_Dad, trust me" Dan said softly._

"_Okay but you be careful" Rufus said._

_During the flight, Dan watched a couple movies with her. It felt like old times when they were just mere friends watching Netflix and staying indoors. Blair leaned on his shoulder for comfort and watched closely at the screen. She still had hoped that Chuck would come._

_Two weeks passed and Chuck still didn't contact her. At this point, Dan had cancelled his Rome trip to stay with Blair. Blair argued that he didn't need to stay with her and he could still go in two weeks but Dan couldn't leave her right now. Dan insisted he stay with her through the summer._

_They both moved into an apartment with their own separate bedroom. Blair was in her room watching her favourite movie. She finally stopped crying about Chuck not coming. Chuck Bass will never come for her and she accepted that._

_Blair got dressed in her best outfit and decided to go to the bar alone. She needed to find someone new to keep her mind off Chuck._

_The following year, she had dated several French guys but to no avail she couldn't fall in love again. Dan was in his room typing up a story that he's been working on when Blair walked in and sat on his bed. He stopped typing and looked towards her._

"_This summer sucks; it's been one year since we came. How come I can't find someone?" she asked. Dan frowned._

"_Maybe you don't need to look that hard" he said._

"_What do you mean?" she asked._

"_Blair, I still love you" he said._

_Blair stared at him not sure what to say. The last year, she's been dating around and even got Dan to meet some of them. She had thought that Dan moved on since she saw him dating as well._

"_I thought you moved on" she said._

"_How could I? I knew you were hurt so I didn't want to say anything. Then you dated around, so I tried doing that too but every time I tried getting into a relationship all I thought about was you" Dan said._

_Blair nodded as she listened to him._

"_Do you want to go out tonight?" he asked._

_She thought for a minute and nodded. Dan and she had been a stable couple after the first few hurdles in their relationship and she always felt safe with him. If it didn't work out they could always forget about it and pretend it never happened._

_During their "first" date, Dan took her to the Eiffel Tower after dinner. All the light was on and the Eiffel Tower was gleaming. Blair instantly smiled when they walked closer. She had always enjoyed coming there. This date felt more natural to Blair then all the other guys that she tried to date._

"_I know you're not ready to move on but always know I'll be there for you" Dan said._

"_Thank you Dan" Blair said as she smiled._

_It'd been one year since she left New York City and Chuck never bothered to contact her. She gave up hope after two weeks but whenever the phone rang she found she secretly wished it was Chuck on the other end of the line. But whenever she answered it, she was disappointed to hear it was someone else. Blair looked up at Dan and decided this time for real she would move on instead of just saying it._

_Blair closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him._

* * *

_Two years had passed since Blair left for Paris. Chuck found himself sitting at the edge of his bed with a hangover. The girl next to him just got up and placed her arms around his shoulders._

"_What are you doing?" she asked._

"_Nothing" he said as he placed his hands over his face and moved backwards rubbing his hair._

'_Why did she appear in my dreams again' he thought._

_He had chosen to take over Bass Industries than going with Blair. Chuck wanted to prove to his father he was able to run a business and not be weak. But every night he had dreams about what he had lost. Blair would always appear the minute he fall asleep and there would be fragments of the time they'd been together or they would be new dreams where he went to Paris with her._

_Some mornings when he woke up he would be dazed and confused with the random woman next to him. He thought that he went to bed with Blair the night before and soon he realized that it was all a dream. Blair was gone from his life and he had no one else but himself to blame._

_He remembered the week after she had left, he asked Serena for Blair's new number. Chuck picked up the phone and called her. There were a lot of things he needed to explain to her and he wanted to tell her he still loved her. To his surprise, Dan was the one that picked up the phone._

"_Hello?" Dan said._

_Chuck was surprised by his voice. He didn't know Dan went with her._

"_Hello?" he said again._

_Just then he heard a click and it was Blair._

"_Chuck?" she said. Her voice was shaking._

"_Chuck?" she said again._

_Chuck did his best to disguise his voice and said "Sorry wrong number."_

_The next three years was a blur to him. Chuck worked all day and partied all night. He bought random girls back home and re-lived the same dreams over and over again. There was never another girl he could be steady with. Blair was it for him._

_He wished for a second chance every night._


	6. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews as always and thanks to my beta for helping me edit this. I am trying to make the story longer and progress more. I hope this chapter is good for you guys :) Please keep up with the reviews!_

_Another Update: Sorry just updated this chapter again after I realized the ending might be a little confusing. I won't summarize it here but the ending I added another paragraph to explain the promise better. _

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

There was a new club that Serena wanted to go to. Blair wore a red dress while Serena wore a black lace backless dress. She was always the more daring one. It was a girl's night out and they were enjoying their time by the bar. The lounge was packed with people and it had been awhile since they went out together to drink. Blair sipped on her martini and looked around the room.

"It seems nice" she said with a fake smile.

"Come on B, let's just dance and have some fun" Serena said as she held her hand.

"Okay" Blair said giving in.

They drank a few martinis and danced on the dance floor together. It was all electric dance music and the beats were pounding louder. Blair swayed her hips as she heard each beat and she was having a good time letting loose with Serena. They danced together a couple more songs and then went to the bar to get a few drinks.

Blair looked out to the dance floor as she waited for Serena with their drinks. The music was getting more intense and Blair just wanted to dance the night away. Serena called Blair over to take a shot of gin together. It burned her throat as she drank it straight and Blair quickly reached for a lemon.

"Oh my god! I forgot how gin tasted straight" Blair said as she shook her head.

Serena laughed and nodded her head. Nate came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Guess who wanted to come to this club too" Nate whispered into her ear.

Serena turned her head and gave Nate a kiss as she touched his cheek. Chuck walked up behind Nate and nodded at Blair.

"I see we had the same idea" Chuck said.

"No, Serena was the one that wanted to come" Blair said.

"Yes and I'm so glad you guys came. It was starting to get boring without you" Serena said as she looked at Nate.

"Good thing we came at the right time then" Nate replied as he gave her another kiss.

Blair looked away. She didn't really want to watch her ex-boyfriend make out with her best friend even if she had no feelings for Nate. It was just weird.

"Did you want to get another drink?" Chuck asked.

"Sure" Blair said as she turned to look at him.

She walked with Chuck near the counter and watched as he ordered them drinks. There was four shot glasses put out in front of them and two glasses filled with clear liquid. Blair assumed it was gin and tonic. The bartender filled the shot glasses with tequila and Chuck paid the bill.

"To you" Chuck said as he held up the first shot glass.

"For what?" Blair asked hesitant to hold hers up.

"For coming back to the Upper East Side" Chuck said as he drank the first glass.

Blair nodded and drank the first shot. It started burning her throat and she couldn't see any lemons nearby. Chuck raised the second glass.

"And this is for your upcoming marriage" he said and drank the second shot.

She gave up looking for the lemon and drank the second shot as well. They spotted Nate and Serena on the dance floor and walked towards them. Nate was behind Serena with his arms wrapped around her and they were slow dancing to the music. They were completely off sync with the music but they didn't mind. The two of them were in their own little world now.

The stage opened up and she wanted to go with Serena. Blair pulled Serena's arm onto the stage and they danced closely together as they listened to the music. She swayed her hips side to side slowly as she turned around. The music was louder where she was standing and her head was pounding from the alcohol. She slowly danced her way lower and looked over her shoulder.

Chuck stood by the stage next to Nate watching Blair dance. It reminded him the night at Victrola and how she stripped down to her slips. Though this time she had better moves and didn't need to strip to make him mesmerized. When they both got off the stage, Blair felt exhilarated that she had danced on the stage, that too after so long.

"Oh my gosh B! That was so good, when did you learn to dance like that?" Serena asked.

Blair gave a devilish smile and shrugged her shoulders. But Chuck knew her secret. Near the end of the night, Serena had disappeared with Nate somewhere in the club. Blair and Chuck were standing at bar drinking champagne. She wanted to savor every minute of tonight. Tomorrow she would have to spend the night with Dan and it wouldn't be as exciting as today.

"Nate just messaged me and he took Serena home" Chuck said as he leaned onto the counter.

"Oh" Blair said looking at her empty glass.

Her plan was to sleep over at Serena's but now it didn't seem like an option anymore.

"I guess I'll take a cab home in a few minutes" she said.

Chuck shook his head.

"I'll give you a ride in my limo" he said.

"Are you sure?" Blair asked.

"It's the least I could do" he said as he finished his drink.

The limo was already waiting outside the club when they walked out. Blair stumbled into the back but Chuck helped her steady. He slid in afterwards. They were only an inch away from each other. Blair leaned onto his shoulders as the limo started driving away.

"Tonight was really great" she murmured.

"You have really strong alcohol breath" Chuck said amused.

"Hahaa smell it" she said as she blew in Chuck's face.

Chuck couldn't help but laugh as he tried to avoid smelling her breath.

"Drunk Blair was a lot of fun today" he said.

"Drunk Blair seems more like Blair Waldorf than the normal one" she said quietly.

"What makes you say that?" he asked as he placed his hand on her knee.

She watched his hand stay on her right knee. Blair felt cold everywhere else. She started feeling bad about it and brushed his hand off.

"I haven't been Blair Waldorf since I left New York" she said.

"I like the Blair Waldorf then and now. Time always changes us and I think that's what happened. You simply just grew up" Chuck said with a smile.

Chuck always knew what to say to make her feel at ease. She leaned into his chest and rested her head there. Chuck couldn't help but place his arm around her shoulder. As he looked out the window, he gently placed his head on top of hers. He was thankful that out of all nights tonight was the night he ran into Blair.

"I think going to Paris was my biggest regret" she said underneath his chin.

"I think losing you was mine" he said under his breath quietly.

Chuck didn't want Blair to hear his deepest regret but she heard every single word. She closed her eyes and didn't know what to think anymore. Then it was clear, her second regret was losing Chuck Bass.

The car stopped when they arrived at her apartment. Chuck's arm was still around her and she was still leaning into his chest. She looked up at the building, knowing that Dan was waiting for her but she didn't want to move. This felt more right than everything else that happened in the past five years.

"I don't really want to go" she said quietly.

"You have to, your fiancé is waiting" he said as he rubbed her shoulder.

Blair nodded and got out the limo. She looked back and saw Chuck's face as he rolled the window down.

"Good night" he said as he gave her a weary smile. Chuck didn't want to let her go but he had to. Blair wasn't his anymore. She couldn't help but stare at him and smile.

"Good night" she said as she walked into the building.

Dan had his eyes closed when Blair walked into their bedroom. She went to change and slipped into bed quietly. This feeling was still buzzing inside her and she couldn't sleep. She wished she was with Chuck a little longer in the limo.

Just last week she told Chuck that she started dating Dan because she needed to move on. Now that she's back in New York City and spending some time with him it felt like everything is starting to fall apart. She could feel herself getting pulled into him. Blair turned to her side and watched Dan sleep.

All her thoughts stopped for a moment. Guilt took over and she realized what's happening is wrong. Dan have been there for her at the airport and went to Paris with her. Even the first year when she couldn't stop crying over Chuck he was there to console her. She closed her eyes and right then she made a promise to herself, as hard as it might be;

_'I won't fall in love with Chuck again.'_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

It had been a few days since she made that silent promise to herself and so far Blair was doing a good job in keeping it. She hadn't seen Chuck since that night and intended to keep it that way to avoid developing anymore feelings for him. Blair was looking through the store with Jenny and couldn't help but look at a pair of shoes she had her eyes on since she came in. The pair of white sparkling Christian Louboutin was calling her name.

'_These would be the perfect pair of shoes to get married in' _Blair thought.

She held the shoes in her hand and looked at it closely. Blair ran her fingers through the small sparkles and detailed flowers at the front of the pointed heels. Dan would have a fit if he knew how much these shoes were but Blair wanted everything to be perfect for her wedding. This would be the last time she's getting married.

"They're so pretty" Jenny said.

"Yeah I really like them" Blair said.

Jenny flipped the shoes over and nearly freaked out over the price of the shoes.

"Dan would blow up if he found out the price though" she said.

Blair was staring at the price tag and bit her bottom lip. She knew that it would cause another argument with Dan since he never approved of her shopping habits before.

"You're right, I'll find cheaper pair of shoes" Blair said as she put them down.

Jenny and her began walking out of the store but before Blair walked out she looked over her shoulders and stared at those Christian Louboutin one last time. A limo slowly came to a stop and the window rolled down.

'_Oh no Chuck is here' _Blair thought, as she saw who stepped out of the car.

"Hey Blair, Jenny. I didn't know you were back in town" Chuck said directly to Jenny.

"Yeah well I would obviously not miss my brother's wedding" Jenny said.

"Right" Chuck said as he turned to look at Blair.

"Shopping for your gown?" he asked.

"Yes" she said a little irritated.

Blair almost made it to a full week without seeing Chuck. It was good until it lasted but now she needed to avoid him again. Spending too much time with Chuck was a danger to her feelings.

"Well we have to go now" Blair said with a smile.

"See you around" she said as she started walking down the street.

Jenny was quick to follow her and eventually caught up when Blair wanted to go inside Henri Bendel. The store had all the new bags lined up at the front. She knew that more shopping would calm her nerves and forget about Chuck.

"So why are you avoiding Chuck?" Jenny asked as she picked up one of the bags.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Blair said.

"Come on, I see that look you gave him" Jenny said.

"The look of irritation?" she said.

"No, you were sort of happy to see him" Jenny said as she looked at the other bags.

"I mean I know you love Dan and all but if you're happy to be Chuck's friend, you shouldn't be afraid. I'm sure Dan will understand" Jenny said.

"I wasn't happy to see him and I'm not afraid. Do you _understand _Little J?" Blair snapped.

"Yeah alright" Jenny said as she walked away.

Jenny hated that nickname with a passion. It was the first time she heard that nickname again since high school. Jenny reached into her bag and retrieved her phone. She quickly typed up a message and sent it to Chuck.

_Jenny: Hey Chuck! It was nice seeing you again today. Did you want to go have dinner with us today? Blair and Dan asked me to invite you. Meet us at Chez, 8pm._

With the message sent, she snapped her phone shut and grinned at her little plan.

'_Blair is definitely hiding something' _she thought.

Blair, Dan and Jenny arrived at _Chez_ around 7:30pm. They were seated near the middle of the restaurant. When Dan sat down, Jenny immediately sat next to him. Blair sat across from them and smiled as she placed her black Lady Dior bag on the seat next to hers. It was starting to get busy at _Chez_, and a waiter still hadn't come by to give them water. Blair was starting to get annoyed and tapped on the table continuously.

Chuck looked at his watch and knew he was running a little late. It was a little past 8pm and hoped that they hadn't started dinner without him. He sighed and walked quickly inside _Chez_. The hostess led him to where Blair, Dan and Jenny were sitting.

"Hey Chuck" Jenny said with a smile.

Blair looked over her shoulder and saw Chuck behind her. She could feel her heart beating louder. It pissed her off that her heart was acting that way. If only she could control her body.

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner" Chuck said.

"No problem" Jenny said.

Blair couldn't take her eyes off him. Jenny cleared her throat and Blair turned to look at her. She nodded her head towards Blair's black Lady Dior bag. Blair immediately moved her bag and placed it behind her.

"Thanks" Chuck said as he unbuttoned his blazer before he sat down.

He shifted his eye and watched Blair as she fidget with the menu.

"How come you invited Chuck?" Dan whispered to Jenny.

"Why not? Chuck is one of Blair's good friends. Don't you want to make her happy?" Jenny whispered back.

"Blair is happy" Dan hissed.

Jenny rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Of course she's happy with you. I just mean wouldn't it be better for her to have _all _her friends again?" Jenny whispered.

"What are you guys talking about?" Blair said with an icy stare.

"Nothing, just asking Jenny what she's getting" Dan said trying to fake a smile.

"Right" Blair said.

Chuck felt a bit stiff as he noticed Dan staring down at him. It was obvious that Blair and Dan didn't know he was coming. As he was about to get up to leave, the waiter came by and asked if they were ready to order. Blair nodded and they all ordered their dinner.

After thirty minutes of small chit-chat their dinner finally came. Blair looked down at her meal and started to feel uncomfortable. There was no way she could eat right now with Chuck beside her. Her stomach was in knots again. Dan and Jenny began eating their dinner while they continued their conversation.

Chuck shifted his eyes and watched Blair play with her food. Her fork circled around the plate and she stabbed a broccoli. Blair lifted the broccoli near her mouth and placed it down again. He watched her for several minutes until she placed the fork down. She leaned back and closed her eyes. The music _Chez_ was playing was starting to calm her down. Chuck places his hand on top of hers and it startled her. Her cheeks turned to a light pink and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"You should eat some" Chuck said in a low voice.

"I did" she whispered as she removed her hand from underneath his.

"I was watching" Chuck said.

His eyes were set on hers and Blair couldn't look away. His stare made her feel guilty for lying now. Blair looked back at her food and tried to eat. The food tasted bland and made her stomach hurt. She placed the fork down and shook her head.

"I can't" she said quietly.

"You can" he replied.

Her stomach was churning and she felt like she would throw up. There was no way she could eat anything right now. Her heart was beating fast and loud. The room was spinning and her head was pounding.

"Are you okay?" Dan asked.

"Yeah" Blair said weakly.

"You're looking pale" Jenny said.

"I'm fine" Blair snapped. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom" she said.

Blair quickly walked to the bathroom and checked the bottom of each stalls. There was no one else in the bathroom and she sighed in relief. She went into one of the stalls and got down on her knees. Her stomach was still turning as she looked inside the toilet. It all started coming out again even though there was nothing left in her stomach. She heard the door opened and tried to stop.

"Blair?"

'_CRAP! It's Little J' _Blair thought.

Her stomach snapped and she hurled in the toilet bowl again.

"Oh my god! Blair let me in" Jenny said as she banged the door.

Blair got to her feet and unlocked the door.

"What?" Blair said.

"Are you sick?" Jenny asked.

"From the wine" Blair said as she went to the sink to wash her hands.

"You didn't have much" Jenny said.

"Shut up" Blair snapped.

"Why are you so mad for?" Jenny asked.

"Who told you to invite Chuck?" Blair hissed.

"I thought it would be a good idea" she said.

"Well it's not" Blair said with a glare.

"When was the last time you ate Blair?" Jenny asked.

Blair tried to think the last real meal she ate. It was probably the day after she made the promise to herself not to fall in love with Chuck again. She hasn't been able to keep food down ever since. After every meal, she could feel her stomach turning. She would rush to the bathroom and turn the tap water on before she began vomiting. Dan never noticed since he's been busy working on his new novel. Jenny was waiting for an answer but Blair didn't answer.

"Blair, if you're relapsing you should tell Dan" Jenny said.

"You won't breathe a word about this to Dan. Got that Little J?" Blair said as she leaned in closer to Jenny.

Jenny went quiet. Blair was leaning close to her face and she felt intimidated again. Jenny nodded and said "understood."

They walked back to the table together and Blair smiled as she sat down. Chuck noticed her eyes were more hollow and her skin looked a bit paler.

"You look better" Dan said.

'_You're wrong' _Chuck thought.

"Yeah just needed to go to the bathroom" Blair said as she smiled.

'_I'm going to need to talk to her' _Chuck thought.

After dinner, they lingered at the front of the restaurant. Jenny, Dan and Blair was about to get into a cab when Chuck pulled her arm lightly. Blair turned to him.

"What?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you" Chuck said.

"I don't have anything to say" Blair said fidgeting.

"Please" Chuck said softening his eyes.

Blair looked over to Dan and said "I'll come home a bit later."

Chuck and Blair watched as Dan and Jenny left in the cab. It was starting to feel chilly and Chuck looked at Blair's bare shoulder. He quickly removed his blazer and placed it over her.

"Get off me Chuck" she said harshly as she tried to brush his coat off. Chuck kept his hands on her.

"That's not what you said last time I saw you" Chuck said amused.

"Maybe you should forget about that. I was under the influence of alcohol" she said.

"You know what they say. Alcohol is the best truth medicine" he said jokingly.

He pushed his hands into his pocket and looked at Blair. There was something different about her today and he liked it. Of course he liked Blair at any time of any day but tonight she was catty like she was in high school.

"Blair I know what's going on" Chuck said.

"What's going on?" Blair asked.

"Are you relapsing again?" Chuck said in a low voice.

"No" Blair said crossing her arm.

"I'm not stupid like the Brooklyn kid, I watched you all night" he said.

"Well I guess you need to get your eyes checked" Blair said as she started walking.

Chuck watched as she walked away. He breathed in and yelled out "I still care about you."

Those five words stopped Blair. She swallowed hard and turned around to look at him. Chuck walked closer to her. The street was quiet and she could hear her heart beating louder again. He was inching closer to her and she could hear her inner thoughts screaming for him to embrace her. A few cars passed by and the lights blinded Blair. She moved her hand to block the light.

"Can you be honest with me?" Chuck said with a sigh.

She couldn't resist his stare now.

"Yes" Blair said.

"Are you relapsing?" he said.

Blair shook her head.

"I...I don't know what's wrong with me. I just can't keep food down" she said.

Chuck nodded and took his phone out to call Arthur. He walked to the curb and talked in private. When he finished the phone call, Blair was kneeling down. He crouched down and place one of his arm around her shoulder.

"Arthur will be here soon, we're going to fix this" he said.

"How?" she said.

Her voice was shaking. It almost killed Chuck hearing her.

"You'll see" he said.

The limo pulled against the curb and Chuck helped Blair into the backseat. The whole ride was quiet as Blair leaned on Chuck's chest. Chuck shifted and told her they arrived. She wished this wouldn't stop but all good things must come to an end. As she got out of the limo she was confused as to why they were in front of the Empire Hotel.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"Getting you some food" Chuck said as he reached for her hand.

"I don't think I can eat" she said.

Chuck shook his head.

"You're going to eat this" he said with a smile.

Holding his hand made her stomach calm. She held his hand tighter and followed Chuck into the hotel's kitchen. They got to the counter and he showed her the pumpkin pie he got the kitchen to make.

"Pumpkin Pie?" she asked baffled.

"It's one of the few things that you enjoy eating" Chuck said.

Blair nodded and sat on the counter as she slowly ate some pie. The first bite made her surprised. It tasted exactly like the ones she and her father used to make every Thanksgiving. She looked at him and saw a devilish smile on his face.

'_You never cease to surprise me Chuck Bass' _she thought.

"So you still care about me?" she asked.

It caught Chuck off guard. He wasn't expecting her to ask him about that but he nodded. Blair couldn't stop herself from giggling.

"You must really regret losing me" she said.

His jaw dropped.

"I heard what you said last time. Losing me was your biggest regret" she said.

"I'm still engaged to Dan though" she said as she stared down at the pie.

"I know" he said clenching his jaw. "I wish you weren't though."

Blair looked up to meet his eyes. Her body was betraying her again. Her cheeks were hot and she was sure she was blushing hard. It was the first time Chuck had seen her like this. He placed his hand on top of her thigh and inched closer to her. Blair looked down at his hand and leaned down to get closer to him.

'_Is this what you want?' _she thought to herself.

'_I really want him'_


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews as always. Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I was contemplating on re-writing the whole thing but decided to keep this. Hope you guys like it! _

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**Chapter 7:**

'_Don't think about Chuck Bass' _Blair reminded herself again.

Blair was at Chanel trying on sunglasses. She'd been thinking about him and the kiss the whole day. Her lips were still tingling from his touch. The one she had on didn't look good when she looked in the mirror. The sales attendant showed her a cat-eyed sunglass. It was one the newest styles that just came out. Blair put them on and looked in the mirror.

"I'll take these" she said.

Blair went through a few more stores and purchased new dresses. Shopping therapy so far has been working. It hasn't made her think about things for a couple hours. As she was walking back, she stopped by Harry Winston to put some pieces on her wish list for her upcoming birthday. It may be a few months away but she had always enjoyed doing it. There was a bracelet that caught her eye and she asked to try it on. The bracelet looked beautiful as it sparkled against her skin.

'_It would be nice to get a new bracelet. It's not like Dan would get me something like this' _she thought.

"I'll take this" Blair said.

The bracelet would be the perfect ending to her shopping day and it would make up for the fact that she didn't buy that pair of Christian Louboutin.

"And what is your name?" the man asked.

"Blair Waldorf" she said smiling.

"Hang on one second" he said as he went to the back.

Blair played with the bracelet in her hand and couldn't help but look at it over again. This was something she wished Dan bought her but he liked to buy her gifts that she never had as a child. The last gift she received from him was a kite. He said that _everyone _should experience flying a kite. Sadly, she didn't think so and his kite have been sitting in the closet ever since.

The man came back holding a black velvet box in his hand and placed it in front of Blair. Her fingers traced the opening feeling the soft black velvet. There was nothing like opening a Harry Winston box.

"Are you sure this is for me?" she asked.

"It was registered under Blair Waldorf" he said.

Blair looked opened the box carefully and saw the big engagement ring in the box. It looked exactly like the one Chuck used to propose before the whole Jenny Humphrey fiasco. But that was more than 6-7 years ago when that happened.

'_Could this be the same ring?' _she thought.

"Do you know who bought this?" she asked as she looked up.

The man shook his head and apologized.

"I'm sorry, that information wasn't available" he said.

"Is it okay for me to take it?" she asked.

"Yes" he said with a smile.

Blair nodded and closed the black velvet box again.

'_It could only be from Chuck' _she thought.

When she got back to their penthouse, she placed all the bags in the living room. Dan came out of his studies and was putting his coat on.

"I have to go out" he said as he eyed the bags that she just placed on the floor.

"What? You're not going to the party?" Blair asked.

"No I have to go meet with a publisher" Dan said as he got dressed to leave.

"I'll try and come by when I get the chance but" he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Fine, I guess I'll go to the housewarming party alone" Blair said as she moved away rejecting his kiss.

"Alright, I'll see you later tonight" he said as he left.

Blair sat on the couch and took out the ring from the black box. She held it up against the light and it was sparkling. She carefully placed the ring on top of her engagement ring. It made her engagement ring from Dan look like a kid ring. Her engagement ring was a pale shade of yellow compared to the clear cut diamond from Harry Winston. She placed the ring back in the box and hid it in one of her locked drawers in her study.

'_I don't think Dan could find it here' _she thought as closed the drawer.

The time was already 5pm and she had to get ready for the party. She wore one of the dresses she bought earlier. It was a bold blue with a low v-cut. The dress was something she would not wear usually but she felt daring today.

She arrived at Serena's and Nate's party first and handed them a bottle of champagne. Serena was so surprised when she saw Blair. Nate gave Blair a quick hug and thanked her for coming.

"Oh gosh B, you look gorgeous. I didn't think you would wear something like this" Serena said as she slid her hand through the fabric.

"I thought it was time to change my image" Blair said as she smiled.

"Well ... it looks really good" Serena said as she let her in.

Serena had paid a decorator to furnish their whole apartment and it paid off. The place looked like it came out of an Ikea catalogue. They sat on the couch together and opened the bottle of champagne.

"To new beginnings" Serena said.

"Cheers!" Blair said as she clinked her glass.

"So who else is coming?" Blair asked.

"I just asked my mom, the Humphreys and Chuck" Serena said as she drank her glass.

"Okay" Blair said.

It was a small gathering and by dinner almost everyone had shown up except for Chuck and Dan. Blair was in the corner of the room talking to Dan on the phone.

"B, dinner is going to be in 20 minutes" Serena said.

"Alright" Blair said covering the speaker.

"Sorry about that, what were you saying again?" Blair asked.

"The meeting is dragging longer than I thought" Dan said. "Listen I won't be home until late so have fun at the party and I'll see you when you get back" Dan continued.

"Fine, whatever" Blair said as she hanged up the phone.

As Blair got off the phone she noticed Chuck entering the apartment. The sight of Chuck made her heart leap. He was wearing his usual suit with a deep purple tie and a silk scarf hanging off his shoulders.

"Blair" he said as he greeted her.

His eyes trailed down to her chest and noticed the low v-cut dress. It was the first time he had seen her in a dress that was so revealing. Until now she had always dressed like Audrey Hepburn. It was nice to see her in something sexy.

"Chuck" she replied.

"Where's Humphrey?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"In a meeting" she said.

"That's too bad" he said.

"For who?" Blair asked with a sly smile.

Chuck grinned at her response. He couldn't stop thinking about their last night's kiss. There was a part of him that felt guilty for doing it yet he still enjoyed it.

"New dress?" he asked as he looked at it again.

"Yes, just bought it this morning. Do you like it?" she asked playing with one of the straps.

"I adore it" Chuck said as he looped his fingers over hers.

"Hey, it's time for dinner" Serena said.

She noticed Chuck's hand over Blair's and asked "what are you two doing?"

"Just fixing the strap for her" Chuck said.

Chuck and Blair followed Serena to the dining room where all the meals were set out already. There were two empty seats on one side of the table and Blair went to sit down. She shifted her eyes and looked over the empty seat hoping that Chuck would sit next to her but instead he sat next to Jenny.

"How was work?" Jenny asked as she looked over to Chuck.

"Fine, the meeting dragged on but I managed to get out of it" Chuck said as he ate a piece of fish.

Chuck glanced up and noticed Blair frowning. He tried to ignore it for now since he didn't want anyone noticing a thing. Jenny kept the conversation going with Chuck until Serena asked Blair about her upcoming wedding. It made Chuck stop listening and start eavesdropping on their conversation. He was curious to what Blair had to say.

"Did you get your gown yet?" Serena asked.

"No, I haven't found one yet" Blair said as she stabbed another piece of fish.

"Didn't you go to a couple stores?" Serena asked.

"Yes but it wasn't perfect" she said.

"I can always make you one" Jenny said with a smile.

She was eager to please Blair since yesterday night. Blair faked a smile and nodded her head.

"Yeah, if I can't find it still I'll be sure to ask you" Blair said placing her fork down.

After dinner was finished, Nate helped Serena clear the table. Blair was sitting in the living room contemplating if she should go home. She was tired of watching Jenny and Chuck talking to each other in the corner of the room. Serena sat beside her and looked in their direction.

"Why do you keep staring at them?" Serena asked.

"No reason" Blair said quickly. "Anyways, it's getting late, I should go home now" Blair said as she got up.

Serena nodded and gave her a small hug.

"Dinner on Friday?" Blair asked.

"Sure, I'll text you then" Serena said as she walked Blair to where everyone else was sitting.

Blair said goodnight to everyone and noticed Chuck watching her. Her gaze lingered before she walked into the elevator. When she got out of the building she noticed how chilly it was getting. Her jacket was thin as she hugged it closer to her body.

'_I should have worn a thicker jacket' _she thought.

"Blair!" Chuck called out.

She turned around to see Chuck standing at the entrance of the building. Jenny wasn't with him and she felt a bit of relief.

"Let me take you home" Chuck said.

"What about Jenny?" Blair said as she looked down.

"Never mind Jenny" Chuck said.

"You guys got along splendidly" she said as she faced the street looking for a cab.

Chuck ran his fingers through his hair frustrated with Blair.

"Are you jealous?" Chuck asked.

"Jealous of Little J? I don't think so Bass" Blair said.

"Let me give you a ride at least" Chuck said.

Blair nodded and Chuck took his phone out to call Arthur. His limo appeared a few minutes after. He opened the door for Blair to get in. She thanked him and slid into the back. Chuck went inside afterwards and sat close to her.

"I don't like it" Blair said quietly.

Chuck pulled her over to his lap and held her for a while. He ran his hand through her soft brown hair while she rested her head on his chest. Blair closed her eyes. This is where she belonged.

"Are you still going to marry Humphrey?" Chuck asked.

His heart was beating louder and he felt more anxious. He hoped for an answered he would like but the whole situation was too complicated. There was no easy way getting out of this without people getting hurt.

"I don't know" she said.

"So you still might?" he asked.

"Chuck...you let me go five years ago. I never heard a word from you. I came back to the Upper East Side to start over and during my first fashion show here I see you in the audience. We were starting to become friends and yesterday you tell me that you still care about me. It's a lot to process" she said.

"You're wrong you know" Chuck said.

"How so?" Blair asked.

"I did call you. I called you a week after you left but Dan picked up the phone and I thought that you were together with him so I hanged up when I heard you pick up the phone" Chuck said.

Blair couldn't utter a word. The past four years she always thought that he didn't care about her enough to contact her.

"Do you love Humphrey?" Chuck asks.

"I thought I did a couple of days ago but after yesterday, I'm not sure anymore" she replies.

Chuck didn't probe anymore. He didn't want to hear anymore instead he stared out the window and watched the buildings pass by.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly.

He shook his head, "No, don't apologize. It's not your fault. The whole situation is complicated"

The limo stopped in front of Blair's building. Chuck didn't want to let her go but he could feel her fidgeting on her lap. He knew that she was going to go back home and sleep with Humphrey next to her. Jealously was raging deep within him since he wanted to be the one sleeping next to her.

"I guess the Brooklyn kid is waiting for you" Chuck said as he stared down at her.

He couldn't watch her leave. Blair slowly reached for his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. Chuck's hand traveled to the side of her face and held it. He pulled her closer and kissed her passionately.

"I want you to stay longer" he said between each kiss.

"I can't, Dan is waiting" she said panting.

Chuck stopped and pulled away.

"You're right" he said.

Blair got out of the limo and Chuck watched as she went inside. He asked Arthur to drive home right away. Blair's scent lingered in the limo and it drove him crazy. Immediately he rolled the window down to air the back. He took his phone out and dialed Nate's phone. Nate was the only one he could talk to about this and he would never judge Chuck's actions.

"Nathaniel, do you think you could meet me at my apartment in an hour? I need some advice" he said.

"I don't know it's really late" Nate said.

"It won't take long" Chuck said.

"Alright. I'll see you in an hour" Nate said before hanging up.

* * *

Chuck waited thirty minutes at his penthouse before Nate showed up. They sat down in the living room with scotch in hand as Chuck told him everything that has happened between Blair and him including the conversation that happened today.

"Holy crap and this happened all within a month?" Nate asked as he fell back on the couch.

Chuck nodded.

"What do you think I should do?" Chuck asked.

"Well, do you still love Blair?" Nate asked.

"Yes" Chuck replied as he took a long drink from his glass.

"And what do you want out of it? What does she want?" Nate asked.

"We haven't really talked about that but I don't want her to marry the Brooklyn kid" Chuck said.

"Have you told her that? I'm sure she loves Dan to a certain degree but I think if you tell her honestly how you feel she'll leave him" Nate said clasping his hand onto his lap.

"No, I asked her earlier if she was going to marry Humphrey but she didn't give me a reply" he said.

"Give her hearts and flowers, show real commitment" Nate said.

Chuck nodded; he knew what he had to do now. Nate got up to leave but stopped before getting on the elevator.

"Just don't run away this time" Nate said before he left.

Chuck took in the words and leaned back on the couch staring at the ceiling.

'_I won't this time' _he thought.

* * *

There was a large bouquet of pink peonies sitting on Blair's desk when she and Jenny walked in. Blair was surprised to see them. She walked over to them and took the card. Chuck's name was at the bottom and she threw it into one of the drawers to read later.

"Who are they from?" Jenny asked.

"Not sure" Blair said with a shrug.

"Probably Dan" Jenny said with a grin.

"Maybe" Blair said with a smile as she moved the vase to the side of her desk so she could write.

It was still summer but Blair was going over the final details for the winter collection. Jenny took careful notes with her pad. Blair took out her lookbook and handed it to Jenny. The book was leather bound with Blair's name engraved in gold at the front.

"I'll look over the new pages and make a note of it" Jenny said smiling.

"Thanks, let me know if you have any questions" Blair said.

As soon as Jenny walked out of her office and closed the door, she took the card out to read it.

_To my favorite girl - Chuck_

Blair couldn't stop grinning. It's been awhile since she received peonies from anyone. Dan had a habit of giving her roses every occasion. Even on the anniversaries he gave her roses even after she told him that peonies were her favorite flowers. She got her phone out to text him.

_Blair: My favorite person just sent me my favorite flowers_

Chuck messaged her back right away.

_Chuck: And who was that? ;)_

_Blair: Bass don't play games here, we all know who_

_Chuck: Want to have dinner today? I want to talk to you about something_

_Blair: Sure_

* * *

Dinner went smoothly; they had a private dinner at the Empire Hotel. There was sushi and macarons, Blair's favorites. Afterwards, they walked down the street and Chuck took Blair's hand. This time he would make things clear for her.

"Dinner was really good" Blair said.

"I'm glad you weren't relapsing" Chuck said.

"Told you I wasn't" she said with a grin.

"Always knew you were strong Waldorf" he said.

They stopped by the park again where everything happened. The confession, the decision, the betraying, the returning and perhaps the start of something new. Chuck looked back to Blair who was still looking at the park and he spoke up.

"Blair, every minute of my life I regret not going to Paris with you. I love you more than life itself and if I could go back in time, I would throw everything away to be with you. But we can't, so I'm telling you now that I'm still in love with you, I always have and I don't want to spend another minute apart" he confessed.

Blair stared at him and looked away. She closed her eyes and made the decision. This is what she wants.

"I realized after yesterday that I'm still in love with you too, I think I never stopped" she said.

"I've been in love with you for so long that I can't even remember a time when I wasn't anymore. It hurt me when you didn't show up at the airport, I thought you didn't love me anymore" Blair said trying to hold back the tears.

Chuck touched her cheek and tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry" he said.

"When I started dating Dan I kept reminding myself that I was over you. I was moving on but now… now I have to remind myself not to even think about you" she said.

"I really want to be with you Chuck, but how do I even know you won't do that again? I know the past few days I've been wavering back and forth with this but I really need to know this time it's different. It's easy with Dan, I know he will never do that to me" she said.

"Blair, I told you I called you a week after. I was ready to throw my whole life for you but when Dan picked up I thought you had moved on. I thought that _**you **_weren't in love with me anymore. I had nightmares every day about you" Chuck said with a weary smile.

"Nightmares?" Blair said.

"Well not really nightmares" Chuck said as he shook his head.

"I had dreams that I was with you in Paris, I was really happy" Chuck smiled fondly. "The nightmares began when I woke up. I was dazed and confused every morning wondering why you weren't next to me" Chuck said.

"Oh" Blair said. "And now?" she asked.

Chuck inched closer to her. He touched her arms and slid down until he was holding her hands.

"Now… now it's a dream come true minus the Brooklyn kid you have around your ring finger" he said.

Blair threw her arms around his neck and embraced him. Everything became clear. She no longer could marry Dan. That silent promise she made would have to be broken. Her feelings for Dan might have been true at one point but it's nothing compared to being in love with Chuck. She never once thought about Dan constantly. He never gave her butterflies.

"Okay" she said.

"Okay?" he questioned.

"Okay I want this too" she said muffled into his chest.

"Waldorf as much as I want you on my chest right now, I can't hear you" Chuck said.

Blair lifted her head up, embarrassed and said it again.

"I want this too" she said.

Chuck leaned down and kissed her. It felt perfect.


	9. Chapter 8

_A/N: Hi, thanks for all the positive reviews and glad to see some of the old readers reading it as well :) Thanks to my betas for reading this and giving me suggestions. I'm glad the last chapter was good since I was so hesitant to upload it. Hopefully, everyone likes this chapter as well. Please review and let me know what you guys think :) Thanks you so much! _

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

Dan looked around the penthouse for a manila envelope. He thought there were a few in his desk but he was mistaken when he reached in his drawer for one only to find it empty. There would be a few in Blair's desk. She was always buying more even when she had five left.

Dan went through each drawer and couldn't find any until he reached the bottom drawer. It was locked and he started wondering why Blair had locked it. His stomach started churning and he knew it was something bad.

There was a spare key in her drawer. Dan knew it was there because it was where she kept all her spare keys. He unlocked the drawer and there sitting on top of the manila envelopes was a black velvet box. His finger traced the box's shape and he hope it wasn't what he thought it was. When the black box opened, the ring sat there in the between the two white cushions and he felt his heart drop.

'Why does she have this?' Dan thought.

Blair had just got home and he quickly hid both the ring and key in his pocket. He went to greet Blair and noticed she was grinning.

"Nice dinner?" he asked.

"The best" she said.

"Who did you have dinner with again?" he asked.

There was a pause in her answer. She was thinking if she should tell the truth or lie about it. Dan looked at her uneasy expression and decided to switch topics. He wasn't ready to hear this.

"I had a shitty meeting with my editor today" He said. "He said I would have to re-write three chapters in three days" he continued.

"Oh" Blair manages to say. "Will you be okay? That's a tight deadline" she said.

"Yeah I'm going to work on it now" he said as he walked away.

Dan didn't want to give Blair a chance to talk or confess. He knew it had something to do with the ring. His desk was a mess and he started cleaning. Doing something mindless had always helped him think. He reached for his pocket and took out the black velvet box again. Carefully he took the ring out and looks at it again. He noticed it was from Harry Winston and slowly his face went red from anger.

'This has to be Chuck's ring' Dan thought.

Dan placed the ring back inside and shut the box. He wanted to throw it away but he had a plan.

* * *

The office was busy, Chuck knew it was near the end of the quarter and everyone was getting the quarterly reports done. Emily stood up when she saw him and quickly ran towards him.

"Mr. Bass, there's something you have to know" she said.

"Can you tell me when I get inside?" Chuck asked.

"No it can't wait-" Emily started saying until it was too late.

Chuck opened the door and found Dan sitting in front of his desk. Dan looked out of place with his messy hair and jeans. Chuck threw his right hand up and Emily nodded. She closed the door behind her when she left.

"What can I do for you Humphrey?" Chuck asked as he went to his desk.

He unbuttoned his grey blazer before he sat down. Dan stared at Chuck and he could feel his anger already. He took the box out of his pocket and placed it in front of Chuck. Chuck stared at it surprised to see it there.

"I know it's yours" Dan said.

Chuck took the box and opened it. It was the same ring and he started to frown. The ring had only held painful memories for him. He was rejected and then shot.

"How did you get this?" Chuck asked with anger.

He remembered giving this to Harry Winston to keep safe in a vault. There was no way Dan could have gotten this. Dan leaned back on his chair and smiled. Chuck placed the box back on the desk.

"Come on Chuck, don't be coy. I know what you're doing with Blair" he said.

Chuck cleared his throat. He didn't think the Brooklyn kid would actually confront him and in his office no less. It could go two ways. The first, Humphrey could make a big deal and everyone in the office would talk about it. He probably could get kicked out of his chair in the next meeting if the rumors spread wild. The second, they could talk about this quietly and hoped for the best. Since they were both men and almost hate each other he knew the most likely option is the first one.

"How did you get the ring?" Chuck asked. This was the most important question.

"I found it locked in Blair's desk" Dan said.

"And what did Blair tell you?" Chuck asked as he leaned back.

He would try and be calm and patient.

"She didn't tell me anything" Dan responded.

Chuck sighed and leaned forward as he fixed his tie.

"What do you exactly want?" Chuck asked.

"I want you to stay away from Blair" Dan said simply.

"I can't do that" Chuck said.

"And why not?" Dan asked crossing his arms.

"I promised Blair I wouldn't" Chuck answered.

Dan started laughing hysterically. He took the box and threw it across the room.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT" he screamed out. "I swear to you Chuck, I will take away everything you have" Dan said.

Emily opened the door with two security guards behind her. Chuck held up his left hand and stood up to talk to Dan.

"You can either walk yourself out or you can have my friends over there escort you out" Chuck said.

Dan looked over to see the two huge security guards and said "I'll walk myself out."

Chuck waited for the commotion to settle before calling Blair. He needed to hear her voice and warn her.

"Ms. Waldorf's office" Katie said.

"Hi Katie, its Chuck Bass. Is Blair available?" he asked.

"Give me one minute" Katie said before muting him.

Emily walked back into the office and noticed Chuck on the phone. She mouthed the words "I'll come back later" and walked herself out.

"Hi Mr. Bass" Blair said sweetly.

"Ms. Waldorf" Chuck said.

"Have you talked to Dan yet?" he asked.

"No, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Blair, answer me honestly" Chuck said.

"Have I ever lied to you Bass?" she asked.

"Blair this is serious" Chuck said.

"Okay, cross my heart" she said.

"How did you get the Harry Winston ring?" he asked.

There was a pause.

"How do you know about that?" Blair asked.

"Well guess which Brooklyn kid showed up at Bass Enterprise with it?" Chuck asked amused.

"Shit" Blair breathed out. "I have to go…I'll call you later" she said.

* * *

Blair left work immediately and rushed home. Dan wasn't at home and she felt a bit of relief. She went into her studies and checked the last drawer. It was unlocked and the ring was missing. She needed the confirmation.

"What are you doing?" Dan asked.

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"Did you take the ring?" she asked.

"Yeah" Dan said.

"And you showed up at Bass Enterprise with it?" she asked as she stood up.

She walked in front of her desk to talk to him.

"Why do you even have that ring?" Dan asked as he walked closer.

His voice was rising with each word. The whole situation made him sick. He was the one that stayed with her and comfort her. He was the one that went to Paris and watched as she cried about that motherchuking Bass. He was the one that watched as she struggled to put her life back together. He was the one that waited for that second chance.

"ANSWER ME" he screamed out in front of her face.

"Dan…Chuck didn't give it to me" she said in a small voice.

Blair didn't like where this was heading.

'Don't lie to me" Dan said.

"I'm not" she shot back.

"All you've been doing is lying to me. You probably went to dinner with Chuck yesterday too" he said as he gripped both her arms.

"I did" she said, her voice shaking.

"Why Blair? Am I not enough? I was the one that went with you to Paris, watched you cry over that asshole and then you gave me a second chance. I thought you put this all behind you" he said as he shook her.

Blair got away from his grip and stepped back.

"You were, it's different with Chuck. It always has been" she said.

"He left you twice" Dan pointed out.

"It's not like that" she said.

"It's exactly like that and you know what? My dad was right. I shouldn't have gotten involved when he left you at the airport" Dan said as he turned around.

Blair went to reach for his arm.

"Dan wait, let me explain properly" she said.

Dan didn't want her touching him so he pushed her back. She tripped over the carpet and banged her head on the desk. Dan panicked and went to her side. The side of her head was bleeding slightly but she was awake.

"Shit! I'm so sorry Blair" Dan said, helping her up.

"Dan, I'm really sorry" Blair said as she got up.

"I didn't want to have these feelings. When I saw him at the fashion show I wanted to just talk to him and be friends again. I realize now I never got over Chuck, I've just been pretending" she said with her head down. "If you want to be mad at anyone it should be me" she said.

Dan didn't say a word. He walked out and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

When Chuck reached his penthouse, he noticed Blair was sitting on the floor in front of the door.

"Blair?" he said.

She looked up and smiled when she saw him. Chuck noticed the white bandage on the side of her face and clenched his fist. He hoped that Dan didn't do that.

"I was waiting for you" she said as she got up.

"What happened to your head?" he asked.

"Dan pushed me and I tripped on the carpet. I banged into the desk" she said.

"Let's go inside" Chuck said as he walked to open the door.

Chuck held the door open and watched as Blair looked inside. When they were together, she remembered sleeping here every night in his arms and now it felt foreign to her to be inside his penthouse again. Nothing has really changed; the furnitures are the same still. Blair went in and sat on his couch. Chuck touched the bandage gently.

"Why did he push you?" he asked.

"We were talking and….and it was my fault I was the one that touched him when he was mad. Of course he was going to push me" she said.

"Don't say that" Chuck said. "It didn't give him a right to push you."

"Chuck! Dan is angry with me just like you were back then. Remember? You pushed me to the window and the glass cut me" she said.

Chuck swallowed the words down. He was no different from the Brooklyn kid.

"What happened at Bass Enterprise?" she asked.

"Dan was waiting for me in the office. He confronted me about the ring" he said.

"How did you exactly get it?" Chuck asked.

"I was shopping couple weeks ago and when I bought something at Harry Winston the attendant gave it to me. He said it was under my name" she said.

Chuck forgot that he put the name under Blair's name instead of his own. He didn't want to remember the ring and the horrible memories that came with it.

"So what happened?" she asked.

Chuck took a deep breath and told her the whole story.

"Dan won't do anything" she said as placed her hand over his.

"How do you know?" Chuck asked.

"I don't...but if he does we can deal with it together" she said offering a small smile.

Chuck nodded and wrapped his arms around her. Even though the whole day went into shit, it still somehow ended perfect. Blair was still in his arms.


End file.
